The continuing saga of Lordstown Motor’s struggles as a public company took a new turn today as the electric truck manufacturer made yet more news. Bad news. Shares of Lordstown are down sharply today after the company reported in an SEC filing that it does not have enough capital to build and launch its electric… Continue reading Don’t trust that SPAC deck
Author: Tech Crunch Online News
Trucks VC launches two new funds for early and late-stage transportation startups
Trucks Venture Capital, a fund that focuses on early-stage entrepreneurs in transportation, is launching two new funds that it says will help build the future of transportation. Its new core fund, Trucks Venture Fund 2 (TVF2), was raised over the last year and recently closed on $52,525,252. The fund is backed by three auto OEMs… Continue reading Trucks VC launches two new funds for early and late-stage transportation startups
EV startup Fisker sets moonshot goal of making a climate neutral EV by 2027
Electric vehicle startup Fisker Inc. has set a moonshot goal of creating its first climate neutral car by 2027. Fisker has yet to bring a vehicle to market — climate neutral or not — making this an ambitious target. The all-electric Fisker Ocean SUV, which is still on track to go into production in November… Continue reading EV startup Fisker sets moonshot goal of making a climate neutral EV by 2027
ISEE brings autonomy to shipping yards with self-driving container trucks
Robotaxis may still be a few years out, but there are other industries that can be transformed by autonomous vehicles as they are today. MIT spin-off ISEE has identified one in the common shipping yard, where containers are sorted and stored — today by a dwindling supply of human drivers, but tomorrow perhaps by the… Continue reading ISEE brings autonomy to shipping yards with self-driving container trucks
AI pioneer Raquel Urtasun launches self-driving technology startup with backing from Khosla, Uber and Aurora
One of the lingering mysteries from Uber’s sale of its Uber ATG self-driving unit to Aurora has been solved. Raquel Urtasun, the AI pioneer who was the chief scientist at Uber ATG, has launched a new startup called Waabi that is taking what she describes as an “AI-first approach” to speed up the commercial deployment… Continue reading AI pioneer Raquel Urtasun launches self-driving technology startup with backing from Khosla, Uber and Aurora
Cabify launches ‘Cabify Go!’, a multi-modal subscription service
Cabify wants to own the way people in cities move. The Spanish-born ride-hailing company is rolling out a pilot multi-modal subscription model to 40,000 users in Madrid this week, with plans to expand to its other markets throughout Spain and Latin America. The “Cabify Go!” subscription service appears to have something for everyone. All of… Continue reading Cabify launches ‘Cabify Go!’, a multi-modal subscription service
Chinese lidar maker Hesai lands $300M led by Hillhouse, Xiaomi, Meituan
The rush to back lidar companies continues as more automakers and robotaxi startups include the remote sensing method in their vehicles. Latest to the investment boom is Hesai, a Shanghai-based lidar maker founded in 2014 with an office in Palo Alto. The company just raised over $300 million in a Series D funding round led… Continue reading Chinese lidar maker Hesai lands $300M led by Hillhouse, Xiaomi, Meituan
Tesla’s head of heavy duty trucking has left the company
Jerome Guillen, a critical executive at Tesla who was working on the development and eventual production of the Tesla Semi has left the company, the automaker said Monday in a filing to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Guillen’s departure comes just three months after he was moved from the president of automotive position, which… Continue reading Tesla’s head of heavy duty trucking has left the company
Bosch opens $1.2 billion chip plant in Germany
Germany technology and parts supplier Robert Bosch opened a €1 billion ($1.2 billion) chip factory in Dresden, Germany on Monday, the single largest investment in the company’s history. The plant, which will mainly supply automotive customers, is a major signal that connected and electric vehicles are here to stay. “Regardless of which powertrain we talk… Continue reading Bosch opens $1.2 billion chip plant in Germany
Astra to acquire electric in-space propulsion company Apollo Fusion
Astra, the space launch startup with plans to go public via a SPAC merger, will acquire electric propulsion maker Apollo Fusion, the company said Monday. Electric propulsion systems are effective at moving spacecraft from lower to higher orbits, even to the moon, Astra Chief Engineer Benjamin Lyon said in a blog post Monday, pointing to… Continue reading Astra to acquire electric in-space propulsion company Apollo Fusion